SoNo tree planting project boosted by grant

Workesr remove debris and stumps from the park at 50 Washington Street Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for the ongoing renovations there. The million dollar renovation should be completed by the end of August and will include new shade and ornamental trees made possible by a grant.

Workesr remove debris and stumps from the park at 50 Washington Street Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for the ongoing renovations there. The million dollar renovation should be completed by the end of August and

Workesr remove debris and stumps from the park at 50 Washington Street Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for the ongoing renovations there. The million dollar renovation should be completed by the end of August and will include new shade and ornamental trees made possible by a grant.

Workesr remove debris and stumps from the park at 50 Washington Street Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for the ongoing renovations there. The million dollar renovation should be completed by the end of August and

NORWALK — For decades, the oft-overlooked park at the foot of 50 Washington St. sat swathed in little less than concrete and litter, but that could soon change thanks, in part, to a grant from Keep America Beautiful foundation.

The Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee secured an $18,500 “Restoration and Resiliency Grant” from the foundation in early April, which will go toward the acquisition and planting of 16 large canopy trees along the perimeter of the soon-to-be-renovated park. The committee, with the help of Norwalk Community College, Keep Norwalk Beautiful and the Norwalk Department of Public Works, hopes to plant the 4.5-caliper trees this spring or in the fall.

Erica Kipp-Sinasis, an environmental science professor at Norwalk Community College and member of the Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee, said the grant specifically targeted South Norwalk for tree plantings, due to a dangerous combination of impermeable surfaces and a lack of tree coverage in the neighborhood.

“South Norwalk, in particular, is made up of impervious surfaces that cover greater than 60 percent of the total area,” said Kipp-Sinasis, who applied for the grant on behalf of the Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee this winter. “SoNo also has the lowest percentage of tree canopy coverage in all of Norwalk, at less than 15 percent.”

By planting large canopy trees in the tree-deprived area, Kipp-Sinasis said she hopes to intercept up to an average of over 1,500 gallons of water a year, per tree, “eventually making this area more resilient to storm surges.”

The grant-funded plantings will be part of a larger effort to introduce foliage to a park at 50 Washington St. that has been called an “eyesore” by community members in the past.

In February, the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency awarded a $1.2 million contract to Deering Construction to renovate the 36,000-square-foot park. In total, about 44 trees are expected to be planted in the area.

“This money will go toward offsetting some of the costs of the project,” said Paul Sotnick, a senior civil engineer with the Norwalk Department of Public Works and member of the Tree Advisory Committee.

Previously, the small park had only two trees, which were removed earlier in April. The new plantings will include about eight different tree species, including London plane, American elm and sweet gum trees — all of which are native to the state.

Renovation plans for the park also include a seating area, fountain, retaining wall and reinforced lawn.

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